MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY by Kanye West

[Syn Gates]

:syngates:Yo Family! This months #AOTM is very special to me because I believe that you will learn so much from this album. MBDTF by the eccentric Kanye West is a clinic on songwriting, arrangement, dynamic, the eclectic, performance, and mixing.

I don’t expect all of you to be thrilled about this rec but this album and this artist has elongated my bands career by inspiring us to create when it felt like we had no more to say.

I have to be honest, hearing someone shred or play a rad riff on the guitar no longer inspires me to pick up mine. Over the last decade I have made it my life’s work to go through the YouTube rabbit hole to source new techniques, equipment, and beyond. I’ve done this to help create the world’s greatest guitar school. I also use these techniques and tricks in solos and I feel that it gives me an edge so, win win.

Today, what compels me to write music and play the guitar, is when I hear someone make music sound like nothing I’ve ever heard before. And to do it with master craftsmanship is the icing.

Kanye delivers on all fronts with this heavy hitter. Dark Fantasy opens this brilliant body of work with a beautifully arranged pop gospel that has so much depth in tone and texture. Then we settle in with a classic R&B guitar theme with Gorgeous and we are off

So I spent a lot of time in deliberation with @Jamie London trying to decide between this one and his album Ye. If you are inspired by this first record, please check out Ye. It might not be his best album ever but Ghost Town is my fav track he’s ever written and the dynamic throughout the entire record is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed.

So give em a listen and lemme know what you think.

All my love,

SYN
:syngates:
APPLE Fantasy
APPLE Ye

SPOTIFY Fantasy
SPOTIFY Ye

YOUTUBE Fantasy
YOUTUBE Ye

 

[BrandonJ]

Never listened to any Kanye before, gotta give this a listen. I was talking to a friend earlier about how people were complaining that the new album is gonna sound like Kanye because Matt said it's Kanye influenced. It doesn't mean they are gonna sound like Kanye, he's just another one of their inspirations to write the music they write. You guys have always had a ton of different influences in your writing and that's what make the band great.

 

[Saphyra]

Honestly, like Brandon, I didn't listen to Kayne,s music before and when at first there will be Kayne's influence for the next album, in beginning I didn't know how to think
Then M Shadows came on discord and explained that there was already Kayne'influence on The Stage album like for example Higher
He told me I should check out and gave me even some songs to get into Kayne's stuff,
Unfortunately, I was in exams so I couldn't really listen after M Shadows gave some music to listen but then I gave a listen later
Well for now I didn't listen to all the music of Kayne West yet but as a non fan of pop music, I like his music

 

[Matt Wildcat]

Honestly, like Brandon, I didn't listen to Kayne,s music before and when at first there will be Kayne's influence un next album, un beginning I didn't know how to think
Then M Shadows came on discord and explained that there was already Kayne'influence on The Stage album like for example Higher
He told me I should check out and gave me even some songs to get into Kayne's stuff,
Unfortunately, I was in exams so I couldn't really listen after M Shadows gave some music to listen but then I gave a listen later
Well for now I didn't listen to all the music of Kayne West yet but as a non fan of pop music, I like his music

Honestly, I'm in the same boat here. Never listened to Kanye before and for a while, I didn't think I would for some reason. Idk whether it just didn't appeal to me at first or something (was probably a bit anti-pop music when I first heard about him. I know, I know).

Buuuuuuuut, given how it seems like everyone is recommending to at least give him a listen, I'm willing to finally hear him out and put my previous hesitation aside. Will report back soon!

 

[Andrew Milner]

Ah Kanye...my high-school deskmate was a big fan of him back in the day. Gave me some songs of his to listen and while I am not a fan of rap in general, I kinda dig his attitude towards music...aside from his weird rants during the Grammys and his...let's say reinterpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody, which I didn't like.

But other than that though, I kinda have respect for his art. He was weirdly influential for his genre because if I remember correctly, he was one of the first rappers that popularized the idea of singing about how you're rich rather than being poor and how you had to rise to the top or whatnot. At least that's how I see it.

I might give this one a spin, see how it feels.

 

[iridecently]

This album slaps so hard, Monster absolutely blew my socks off when I first heard it and it's kind of what got me into appreciating rap more. I am super excited to see what people think about this after a first listen
I will return soon to post all my thoughts

 

[Riffs&Lix]

huh... guess ill check it out soon lol. Ive been rippin Oh What The Future Holds and Elegy for like a week now. Fantastic releasew from FFAA and SoI.

 

[Jamie London]

Yesssssssss
I’m really excited for this months discussion. It’s always good to mix it up a little! I’ll be back in a bit to drop my incoherent mess of thoughts on this musical beauty & beast of an album, and Ye too because it‘s also golden imo

The AOTM playlist has also been updated and it be lookin wiiiiild at this point :

 

[Gabby Heafy]

I have never listened to Kanye West, i don't know too much about what music he doing but without a doubt I will listen it and leave my thoughts later!
So Glad that we have album of the month!

 

[ari.mac]

Ooooh I enjoy hip hop and rap very much! I know a few Kanye's songs and as @iridecently mentioned: Monster slaps damn hard!!!! Other song I know from this album is All Of The Lights and I really like that one too! I'll have to dig into the whole album!! Awesome rec as always Syn!

 

[Ed Seith]

Ahh, shit, I've been dreading this. I actually gave "Yeezus" a listen a few weeks ago and, NGL, it seemed derivative, unimaginative, and sorta demo-quality to me in a lot of ways. I can't argue with his popularity, so it's obviously something I just don't get, but I'm not certain I want to get it, either. I'll give this a spin and see if it's better to me .

 

[Jamie London]

Ahh, shit, I've been dreading this. I actually gave "Yeezus" a listen a few weeks ago and, NGL, it seemed derivative, unimaginative, and sorta demo-quality to me in a lot of ways. I can't argue with his popularity, so it's obviously something I just don't get, but I'm not certain I want to get it, either. I'll give this a spin and see if it's better to me .

Yeezus is probably not a great place to start tbh haha even among Kanye fans that one is super polarizing haha. Just knowing your tastes, idk if you’ll necessarily love this one, but I can almost promise that’ll you’ll like it a good bit more then YEEZUS haha

 

[Anna.VG]

This is interesting! I like how varied are the AOTM!

well I have listened a few song of Kanye but not a whole album so yeah, this is going to be fun to listen

 

[Ed Seith]

Looks like ULTIMATE GUITAR has picked up on this AOTM.

Avenged Sevenfold's Syn Gates Praises Kanye West, Says Shredding and Riffs No Longer Inspire Him to Pick Up Guitar

In particular, Gates looked back on Kanye's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' album.

www.ultimate-guitar.com

 

[Jamie London]

Looks like ULTIMATE GUITAR has picked up on this AOTM.

Avenged Sevenfold's Syn Gates Praises Kanye West, Says Shredding and Riffs No Longer Inspire Him to Pick Up Guitar

In particular, Gates looked back on Kanye's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' album.

www.ultimate-guitar.com

I had a feeling an outlet or two would pick up on this one Loudwire did a piece when “Words and Images” was the choice last year as well. So wild haha

 

[Alicia Willis]

Admittedly I’m not a huge Kanye fan, his songs are always hit or miss with me, so I was stoked to check out the album and as I’m listening….“all of the lights” came on, and suddenly *flashback* I was 21 again in the clubs lol. And I was like, hold up, why is this song on a new album……..and then I realized I’m getting old as fuck and time and years are merely an illusion now haha.
So while I’ve not much to say on the album, I do sincerely thank you for the awesome nostalgia that one song brought to me.
And also a reminder that 2010 wasn’t 3 years ago

Im off to take my Pepcid and ibuprofen now.

 

[ZebbyMcNutty]

Admittedly I’m not a huge Kanye fan, his songs are always hit or miss with me, so I was stoked to check out the album and as I’m listening….“all of the lights” came on, and suddenly *flashback* I was 21 again in the clubs lol. And I was like, hold up, why is this song on a new album……..and then I realized I’m getting old as fuck and time and years are merely an illusion now haha.
So while I’ve not much to say on the album, I do sincerely thank you for the awesome nostalgia that one song brought to me.
And also a reminder that 2010 wasn’t 3 years ago

Im off to take my Pepcid and ibuprofen now.

Wow I was 8 years old at the time, now I've been playing drums for 11 years almost and I started a bit after that I think...

Time's weird

 

[Ed Seith]

Admittedly I’m not a huge Kanye fan, his songs are always hit or miss with me, so I was stoked to check out the album and as I’m listening….“all of the lights” came on, and suddenly *flashback* I was 21 again in the clubs lol. And I was like, hold up, why is this song on a new album……..and then I realized I’m getting old as fuck and time and years are merely an illusion now haha.
So while I’ve not much to say on the album, I do sincerely thank you for the awesome nostalgia that one song brought to me.
And also a reminder that 2010 wasn’t 3 years ago

Im off to take my Pepcid and ibuprofen now.

Ahh, 2010. I turned 40 that year, you snot-nosed kid.

 

[Rad Synner]

Ahh, 2010. I turned 40 that year, you snot-nosed kid.

YOU’RE 52???? I knew you were old but not THAT old. Hot damn grandpa…

 

[Ed Seith]

YOU’RE 52???? I knew you were old but not THAT old. Hot damn grandpa…

Not yet. July, I will be 52. Born in 1970, muthafuckas!